When can kids in Wales go for a kick about in the park with their friends?

Stay-at-home restrictions will continue in Wales for a further three weeks as the youngest pupils begin returning to school from Monday, First Minister Mark Drakeford confirmed today.

At this afternoon’s press conference, Mark Drakeford gave details of the latest three weekly Welsh government review of current Covid restrictions.

Mr Drakeford announced some minor changes to the current rules including one around exercise.

He also said changes for shops and hairdressers could be on the cards in another three weeks time.

Mr Drakeford confirmed that from Saturday 20^th February, “four people from two different households will be able to meet outdoors for socially distanced local exercise. This doesn’t apply to private gardens.”

“From March 1, the law will be changed to allow licensed wedding venues, such as visitor attractions and hotels, to re-open but only to perform wedding and civil partnership ceremonies.”

“Sport Wales will make arrangements for more of our talented athletes to resume training and playing [professional and elite athletes]”

“With more people living and working in older people’s care homes being vaccinated, we will look again at our guidance for care home visiting.”

Asked about children being allowed to go for a kick about in the park, Mr Drakeford told the press conference: “I’m very keen to be able to allow children particularly to resume outdoor exercise and activity.”

“Our top priority for the moment is getting children back into school.”

“We will have to carefully observe the evidence of what that does to the transmission of the disease, but if we can have a successful return to school… then beyond that I am very keen indeed to allow those young people to do more in the outdoors in the way that was possible earlier last year.”

He said: “I’m very familiar with a long list of activities that people write to us [asking to be allowed] why not tennis, why not golf, why not fishing, why not pigeon racing, why not, you know it’s a long list.”

“The problem is, every activity you add gives the virus another opportunity to circulate.”

Here is the first ministers answer in full.

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